Tiz A. Arnold

So when things get hard, which they will, don’t invest all your mental energy and emotion into wishing the hard thing away or making yourself miserable by mentally dwelling on how awful things are. Instead, know that getting through this tough thing you’re facing and figuring out what you can do about it can make you smarter and stronger and even happier (maybe not immediately, but one day).

somebody had told me back then (because I’m sure I could’ve used this knowledge in other situations) is that you have to take risks to make progress, to grow as a person, and to make your life better. You cannot play it safe and stay in your comfort zone all your life and expect anything to change or improve. Try new things. Consider new opportunities, even if they seem impossible at first. Don’t say no to something just because it’s big and scary. Your future and your future happiness depend on it.

Much of my life was lived in a way my parents wanted: